The train trip was good – the Italian countryside is quite pretty, and we got into the really good wine country quickly. Our host (David) picked us up from the Figline Valdarno station. He was a real contrast to the Pisa hotel staff – very friendly, charming and happy. Unfortunately, all the "che lavora fi?" etc ran out and language barriers rendered it a quiet journey to his vineyard.
Agriturismo Savernano was the find of the trip – it is unlike the usual homestays in a few ways, mainly because you can stay for just one night if you wish. However, it does the have the usual gorgeous outlook, nice family and great food. And, because it was the off-season, we got the whole guest area to ourselves. Divine.
This is the view of the house from the olive groves:
And the view over the hills to the nearest town:
After storing our luggage away, Lucy and I took a stroll around the grounds. I was content to sit reading by the pool, but Explorer Girl wandered all over the place, and met up with the older and younger generations of the family fishing together at the bird pond.
Since the kitchen was shut for the off-season David then kindly drove us to a nearby restaurant. In Italian I could only just follow, he gave the staff strict instructions to call him when we were finished – I think he was worried we’d wander off and get lost in the fields!
This was a really fun, very Italian countryside kind of place. You could tell they didn’t get many non-Italians, and there was none of that tacky stuff to try and attract tourists. We got a waitress who was very happy to practice her high-school English, and the three of us had a fun time trying to sort out the huge menu. I totally enjoyed the intersection of enthusiasm, interest and a little bit of language this required, and it is true that the most important thing in another country is to smile a lot. It makes a big difference. Anyway, surrounded by tables of twenty, we somehow managed to inhale three courses each, and a bottle of local chianti all by ourselves. (Being a bit drunk, I suddenly found it MUCH easier to speak Italian.)
Lovely David picked us up afterwards and by the time we got back to Savernano he had offered to show us his wine cellar. There were eight or so vats, and we got to taste the velvet coloured liquid in them. It didn’t taste very nice, but it was easy to understand which of the flavours were going to change over time and turn into yummy wine. I also learnt that winegrowers often shoot wild boars, who eat the grape vines – David showed us the chain and drain he uses to turn pest into proscuitto in his slaughter room.
After that, the travel finally took its toll (nothing to do with wine and tiramisu!) and we stumbled into the fabulous, pillowy king size bed for a loooong sleep. This was the view from our room the next morning (with mist floating in over the valley):
Getting up in time for breakfast was a close call, but I guess when you are the only guests it is easy for the hosts to know what you’re doing. We feasted on scrambled eggs (so fresh and yellow they seemed neon), house cheeses, fresh juices from the orchard and delicious breads. Feeling all carnivorous, I was excited to be served a big plate of home-cured proscuitto, and it was delicious.
For the rest of the day we just sat in the glorious sun and considered our good fortune. However, soon enough it was time to head back to the station for the trip to Firenze. I'll write more about that later...
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